Mothers and ChildrenW. Collins, 1918 - 166 pages These 14 brief, contrasting vignettes, which each stand alone and deal with one mother and her child, provide glimpses of a huge range of mother-child relationships. Most extol the passion, depth and fulfilment of maternal love, which is likened in some tales to divine love, even protecting a child from beyond the grave (EILEEN). Some mothers invest all ambition in their offspring (ARTHUR). Some stories describe tragedies – MARGUERITE turns out ‘a dumbie’, longed-for PHI-PHI is an ‘idiot’, clever GERALD has a serious accident at Eton, BOBBY dies aged 4, devastating his mother, idolised CHARLIE becomes delinquent and ruins the family (though retaining his mother’s adoration). DOUGLAS’s adoptive mother cannot love him as his own mother still does. Some children return this devotion - GERALD comforts his anguished mother after his accident, MAUD gives up married love to care for her blind mother. NORMAN’s mother, fleeing a drunken, murderous husband, is redeemed and comforted by her son. Other mothers, like DERRICK’s, hate their children, with reciprocal dislike. GLADYS, spoiled by her mother, grows up selfish and arrogant. JANEY’s mother despises husband and child, and Janey dreams of her absent father. |
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Page 23
... eyes ; and there he read himself centre of the universe . The child is a lovable one , despite his faults , despite his curious training ; and between him and his mother exists an affinity , an understanding , which is in- finitely ...
... eyes ; and there he read himself centre of the universe . The child is a lovable one , despite his faults , despite his curious training ; and between him and his mother exists an affinity , an understanding , which is in- finitely ...
Page 32
... eyes it seemed a mercy to take her only solace from the mother who could prove no right to it . Poor wife who had no husband ! poor mother who had no rights - and now no baby boy to justify her struggle for them .. Phyllis Vane's story ...
... eyes it seemed a mercy to take her only solace from the mother who could prove no right to it . Poor wife who had no husband ! poor mother who had no rights - and now no baby boy to justify her struggle for them .. Phyllis Vane's story ...
Page 34
... eyes and mouth had filled her full , John , her John , was Nora's . But Bobby was hers ; and as she said passionately , " No one could take him from her . " Alas ! No one could take Bobby from her ! How often she said that , said it ...
... eyes and mouth had filled her full , John , her John , was Nora's . But Bobby was hers ; and as she said passionately , " No one could take him from her . " Alas ! No one could take Bobby from her ! How often she said that , said it ...
Page 35
... father's coming , father's coming " ; opened his blue eyes ; smiled ; gasped ; and gasping , died . Then they preached to her of God's mercy , and thanked Him for her , when they took the boy out of her arms , and 35 BOBBY.
... father's coming , father's coming " ; opened his blue eyes ; smiled ; gasped ; and gasping , died . Then they preached to her of God's mercy , and thanked Him for her , when they took the boy out of her arms , and 35 BOBBY.
Page 42
... eyes , the heart of her mother's heart . That young widow , fair and young though she was , had no wish for other love - words than Maud's , no thought for other lovers than the baby lover who clambered on her knees . Maud , waking in ...
... eyes , the heart of her mother's heart . That young widow , fair and young though she was , had no wish for other love - words than Maud's , no thought for other lovers than the baby lover who clambered on her knees . Maud , waking in ...
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Common terms and phrases
ambitions arms Arthur asked Aunt Bessie baby beautiful Bobby brain caresses Carson Charlie child Chisel Danby's Derrick Devereux Douglas dream Eileen Eric Eton everything face father Frank Danby Frazer friends genius Gerald girl glad Gladys grew growing hair hands happy head heard heart ache Heaven husband Janey Jessie Joanna John Evans kiss knee knew light lips little angel little one's lived look Marguérite Margy marriage married maternity Maud Maud's measles months mother-love mother's eyes MOTHERS AND CHILDREN Mummy Mumsey ness nestled never night nurse nursery old Celia old maid pain pale passion perhaps Phi-phi Phyllis Vane's pity Poor little Poor mother Reuben Carson's seemed shadow world Slowcumb smiled Stanford University story sympathy talk tears tell Temple thought tin soldier told touched tremulous trouble turn Ursula voice watch wife woman words Wyvern young young doctor
Popular passages
Page 21 - I HAD a little daughter, And she was given to me To lead me gently backward To ,the Heavenly Father's knee, That I, by the force of nature, Might in some dim wise divine The depth of his infinite patience To this wayward soul of mine.